Dancing at the Crossroads

A MIDSUMMER VILLAGE GATHERING - TWO BEAUTIFUL EVENINGS FRI 24 / SAT 25 JUNE - RIVERSIDE CÉILÍ, ART, MUSIC, DANCE, CULTURE, HERITAGE, FUN!

Aughagower Community Council in the County of Mayo is very excited to be hosting TWO FREE OUTDOOR CULTURAL EVENTS FOR ALL on the weekend of FRIDAY 24TH, SATURDAY 25TH JUNE 2022, generously funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and marvellously managed by the team of Mayo Arts Office. #LocalLive

DANCING AT THE CROSSROADS FESTIVAL - RINCÍ CROSAIRE -

FREE TO ALL, NO BOOKING REQUIRED!

FRIDAY 24TH JUNE - 8 PM TILL LATE

The first evening, come along to an outdoor RIVERSIDE CÉILÍ - with a full traditional céilí band and caller at your disposal for a few hours of a midsummer's evening in the heart of the village, just as it was in times before, the wonderful @The Swallows Tail Ceili Band of Foxford encouraging all beginners of all ages to come and have a go at set dancing and to enjoy watching those who really know how it's done! We'll have a time-honoured halfway break for the musicians and dancers alike to revive with a cup of tea or coffee, a sandwich, a bite of cake or a hearty pint of the good stuff whilst being entertained by the IRISH DANCING PERFORMANCE of some of our local kids surrounded by the wonderful

HORSE LIGHT SCULPTURES by @Tom Meskell and @Tommy Casby and many helpers, positioned around the sites of the ancient village, grazing or gazing out as an imposing art installation and bringing to mind the once universal horse and human symbiosis of our not-so-distant past, perhaps to return again!

As a special harking back to the village gatherings of old, come and try having your POETRY FORTUNES told by @Jenni Nikinmaa - poet/playwright, climbing up the steps of a Mayo-made Irish Travellers' barrel-top wagon to find the lady of the 'artful seeing cards' within, some messages directly for you!

Or if you prefer hearing the strains of the jigs and reels rolling out over the evening air as you lie in the peace of our village green, come and be immersed in the SOUND HEALING GONG BATH of @Sídhe Sound Healing, returning relaxed and refreshed to the midsummer night!

The second evening's entertainment on

SATURDAY 25TH - 5PM TILL LATE

Will comprise a varied entertainment for the heart's delight of every inclination! There'll be KIDS' FUN with a MAGICAL MUSIC TENT on the village green, a treasure trove of instruments and percussion of all descriptions to be found within, hosted by the ever-enthusiastic @Raphael Dziubinski and a wonderful collection of our artists ready to show and play along with and encourage any child, young or old, who'd like to try a tune or a rhythm that comes to them in the moment of play!

There'll be more KIDS' ACROBATIC CIRCUS ANTICS with hoops and for the adults, a burlesque on-stage turn by ROCK HARD ROXY later in the evening from Achill-based Circus250.

There'll also be FOOD and DRINK Scott's XL and assorted food stalls and a full and varied line-up of MUSIC CONCERTS - 5PM TILL LATE as our village bonfire gets underway, lighting the short darkening hours with its warm flickers through the night.

- Traditional Irish and Appalachian old-time music and folk songs from Alannah and Ryan of ALFI @alfibandireland with harp and banjo and voice;

- Achill singer-songwriter of considerable talent and guitar player of sweet tone and groove, GRAHAM SWEENEY @grahamsweeney ;

- Local soul, funk, blues, roots legend JOANNE KEEGAN @joanneybus and her Roots and old-time Blues combo UNION AVENUE #unionavanue ;

- LITTLE JOHN NEE @little john nee and his particular strain of theatrically incisive and comically poignant and uplifting 'Gentle Punk' to open the heart;

- SEAMUS FOGERTY @seamusfogarty along with his brother John; beautiful, quirky and intriguing music with voice, banjo, guitar, accordion and electronic samples and loops to hold open the spaces of imagination;

- great four-piece SKY ATLAS @skyatlasband "Stunningly epic and atmospheric" - Hot Press Magazine;

- and to round off our night under the stars as the bonfire burns strong, an always cracking performance of our resident blues men and rockers of many a year, THE PISTON SLAPPERS, still bringing us what's going on!

Not every village has SO MUCH GOING ON!

BRING THE FAMILY, MEET UP WITH THE NEIGHBOURS, SHARE THE VILLAGE LIFE AS VERY WELCOME VISITORS AND ENJOY!